It was a double rescue Sunday night: firefighters saved the man who was trying to save his family's dog.

The Wilmington Fire Department around 10 p.m. first managed to rescue the man from an ice flow on Brandywine River, said Battalion Chief John Looney. He'd stepped out onto the treacherously frozen creek to save his dog, who Looney said had run out onto the ice and gotten stuck.

WFD redirected firefighters from a blaze on North Harrison Street. Wearing ice suits, Looney said they made their way into the river and plucked him from the water before any cold weather injuries set in.

"Ice rescue incidents can be very difficult and time consuming due to the fact we need to move with caution," Looney said. "The temperatures that personnel encounter are obviously unpleasant and we must be prepared to immediately rehab/rewarm rescuers once the incident is completed."

Wilmington firefighters and other emergency personnel rescued a man and his dog from Brandywine River Sunday night.(Photo: WFD)

Firefighters, animal control officers and the New Castle County Special Operations Water Rescue Team saved the man, who declined any emergency treatment, Looney said. No firefighters were hurt during the rescue, Looney said.

It took another 40 minutes to save the dog, Looney said, through numerous rescue attempts with a 24-foot ladder.

"It’s difficult to retrieve a stranded dog on ice because they are cold, wet, and frightened and do not want to cooperate with rescuers. We always make sure once the dog is retrieved [that we] make arrangements for treatment," Looney said.

It was around 10 p.m. Sunday when firefighters in Wilmington, redirected from a structure fire, assembled to help rescue a man who was trying to rescue his dog from the frozen Brandywine River.(Photo: WFD)

Man and beast were reunited after the incident.

"The dog seemed to be in good spirits once he came up from the riverbank," said WFD Lt. Andrew Cavanaugh. "It's an extremely difficult rescue."